TRENTON — A state court disciplinary committee has filed an official complaint against Mercer County Judge Gerald Council alleging that the judge mistreated employees in the Drug Court program, which he oversees.

According to the formal complaint filed by the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct on April 1, Council was demeaning toward a drug court coordinator, on one occasion shushing her and telling her he did not want to hear from her in front of a drug court participant and another employee.

On another occasion the woman, referred to as A.J., alleges in the complaint that Council pulled her by the ear toward the exit of the courtroom saying “come on, come on, come on” and referred to her as “my problem child.”

Council also allegedly referred to one employee who was a senior probation officer as his “little pet” at a staff meeting.

The officer felt uncomfortable after the comment and corrected Council in front of other employees that she was not his “pet,” according to the complaint. The complaint alleges that Council also referred to an investigator on his Drug Court team as “hop-a-long” on a few occasions after that employee underwent hip replacement surgery.

Drug Court is a diversionary intervention program designed to funnel drug dependent offenders into a rigorous treatment program rather than incarceration. The four-phase process can take up to five years to complete.

The complaint alleges that Council “publicly humiliated, belittled and demeaned” A.J. and “demonstrated discourteous and undignified behavior” in referring to the other employees at “little pet” and “hop-a-long.” The committee said this conduct failed to preserve the integrity of the judiciary and the public’s perception of that integrity as set forth in the code of judicial conduct.

Council will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations and he could ask for the state Supreme Court to weigh in. The committee did not request that Council be removed from his regular duties while the complaint against him is pending.

Council did not respond to a message left with his chambers today.

Council, who was the first black male to be appointed to the Superior Court bench in Mercer County, also worked as a defense attorney for both civil and criminal matters for a Trenton firm in which he was the partner. He also previously worked for the Office of the Attorney General.